Instant compatibility check with FPS benchmarks and optimization tips
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Performance
1080p (Full HD)
1440p (2K / QHD)
4K (Ultra HD)
Requirements Check
Recommendations
Your hardware doesn't meet minimum requirements for this game.
Your GPU supports ray tracing.
Average FPS: resolution vs quality settings
| Ultra | High | Medium | Low | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4K Ultra HD | 51 | 55 | 69 | 93 |
| 1440p QHD | 71 | 75 | 97 | 128 |
| 1080p Full HD | 89 | 91 | 122 | 156 |
Cell color: green is 120+ FPS, teal is 60+, amber is 30+, red is below 30. Cards marked Estimated above have no measured row and are scaled from your GPU benchmark percentile.
Performance Analysis: Microsoft Flight Simulator on Your System
This PC configuration places in the 1076th position out of 3714 tested combinations for Microsoft Flight Simulator, putting it in the upper third of all systems measured. The data shows a machine that comfortably handles the sim at 1080p and 1440p with maximum settings, while 4K requires a slight compromise in visual fidelity to maintain smooth frame rates. The Core i5-13400F and RTX 3080 pairing demonstrates strong scaling across resolutions, with the GPU becoming the primary bottleneck only at 4K Ultra.
Best Settings per Resolution
At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 89.4 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold by a substantial margin. This is the most demanding preset available, and the data confirms it is fully playable at this resolution. There is no need to drop to High (91.1 FPS) or Medium (122.1 FPS) for performance reasons, as Ultra maintains a comfortable buffer above the playability threshold.
For 2560x1440, Ultra remains the best choice with an average of 70.7 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS threshold, though the margin narrows compared to 1080p. The High preset at 75.2 FPS offers a small performance cushion if the user prefers headroom, but the measured data shows Ultra stays playable. Medium (97.4 FPS) and Low (128.4 FPS) are also viable, but they sacrifice visual quality unnecessarily given the Ultra result.
At 3840x2160, the situation changes. Ultra produces 50.7 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium is the highest preset that stays playable, delivering 69.4 FPS. Low runs at 92.8 FPS, but the data indicates Medium is the optimal balance. The High preset at 55.2 FPS is close to the threshold but does not clear it, making Medium the definitive recommendation for 4K.
CPU and GPU Roles
The benchmark data reveals a clear shift in bottleneck behavior across resolutions. At 1080p, the system produces 155.8 FPS on Low settings, which suggests the CPU and GPU are both capable of high throughput. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p (155.8 to 122.1 FPS) represents a 21.6% drop, while the jump from Medium to High (122.1 to 91.1 FPS) is a 25.4% drop. These significant reductions indicate the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as settings increase, even at 1080p.
At 1440p, the pattern continues but with a steeper curve. Low runs at 128.4 FPS, Medium drops to 97.4 FPS, High to 75.2 FPS, and Ultra to 70.7 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p is a 45% reduction, showing that the RTX 3080 is increasingly stressed at this resolution. The Core i5-13400F, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, appears sufficient to feed the GPU at these settings, as frame rates do not collapse at lower resolutions where CPU overhead would typically surface.
At 4K, the GPU dominance becomes pronounced. Low runs at 92.8 FPS, but Ultra drops to 50.7 FPS — a 45.4% reduction from Low. The 4K Ultra result being below 60 FPS while 1440p Ultra stays above 70 FPS indicates the RTX 3080's 10 GB GDDR6X memory and 320-bit bus are the primary constraints. The CPU's role diminishes at 4K, as the frame rate is governed almost entirely by the GPU's pixel throughput. The i5-13400F's single-thread score of 960 in 3DMark single-thread testing suggests it has ample headroom for the sim's simulation logic, even when the GPU is saturated.
Similar Performance Alternatives
The Core i5-13400F's nearest rivals in aggregate benchmark scores include the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS (deltaPct 0), the Intel Core 5 120 (deltaPct -0.3), the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (deltaPct -0.3), and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H (deltaPct 0.4). These deltas represent a negligible 0.3-0.4% difference from the i5-13400F's average score of 25292, meaning any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Microsoft Flight Simulator. The Ryzen 5 5600X3D is particularly relevant for this sim, as its 3D V-Cache architecture is designed to improve gaming performance, though the data shows its aggregate score is statistically tied with the i5-13400F.
For the GPU, the RTX 3080's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA P106-100 (deltaPct -0.3), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 (deltaPct -0.3), AMD Radeon RX 6600M (deltaPct -0.4), and AMD Radeon R9 M290X (deltaPct -0.4). These delta values are all within 0.4% of the RTX 3080's average score of 23172. However, it is important to note that these rivals are scored on aggregate benchmarks, not specifically on Microsoft Flight Simulator. The P106-100 is a mining-oriented GPU with limited display outputs, while the Radeon Pro Vega 16 and R9 M290X are significantly older architectures. In practice, the RTX 3080's 10 GB VRAM and DLSS support would likely yield better real-world results in this sim, despite the similar aggregate scores.
The Verdict
This system can run Microsoft Flight Simulator with playable frame rates at all three tested resolutions, but the settings ceiling varies. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 89.4 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, Ultra remains playable at 70.7 FPS. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset drops to 50.7 FPS, which fails the 60 FPS threshold, but Medium at 69.4 FPS passes comfortably.
The verdict by resolution is clear: 1080p and 1440p allow maximum settings, while 4K requires Medium settings for a consistent 60 FPS experience. The High preset at 4K (55.2 FPS) is close but does not meet the threshold, making Medium the definitive choice for 4K play. The data shows no playability issues at 1080p or 1440p, even with the most demanding presets. The 4K Medium result of 69.4 FPS provides a 9.4 FPS buffer above the threshold, which is adequate for most flight scenarios, though dense urban areas or heavy weather could potentially dip lower.
Measured FPS Breakdown
1920x1080: The Low preset produces 155.8 FPS average. Medium runs at 122.1 FPS. High delivers 91.1 FPS. Ultra achieves 89.4 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 42.6% reduction in frame rate, with the largest single drop occurring between Medium and High (25.4% reduction).
2560x1440: Low runs at 128.4 FPS. Medium produces 97.4 FPS. High achieves 75.2 FPS. Ultra delivers 70.7 FPS. The reduction from Low to Ultra is 45%, with the steepest drop between Medium and High (22.8% reduction). The gap between High and Ultra narrows to just 5.9%, suggesting diminishing returns at the highest preset.
3840x2160: Low runs at 92.8 FPS. Medium produces 69.4 FPS. High achieves 55.2 FPS. Ultra delivers 50.7 FPS. The scaling here is steepest, with a 45.4% reduction from Low to Ultra. The drop from Medium to High is 20.5%, which is the critical transition that pushes the system below the 60 FPS threshold.
FAQ
Q: Can this PC run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 4K with Ultra settings?
A: No. The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 produces an average of 50.7 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Medium preset at 69.4 FPS is the highest playable setting at 4K.
Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p?
A: Ultra is the best settings preset at 2560x1440, delivering 70.7 FPS. This clears the 60 FPS threshold, so no quality reduction is necessary for playability.
Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?
A: The Core i5-13400F has an average benchmark score of 25292. Its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS, scores 25284 with a deltaPct of 0. The Intel Core 5 120 and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D both score within 0.3% of the i5-13400F, indicating near-identical aggregate performance.
Q: Is the RTX 3080's performance close to any other GPUs?
A: The RTX 3080's average score is 23172. The NVIDIA P106-100 scores 23249 (deltaPct -0.3), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 scores 23250 (deltaPct -0.3), and the AMD Radeon RX 6600M scores 23273 (deltaPct -0.4). All are within 0.4% of the RTX 3080's aggregate score.
Q: What frame rate does the Low preset achieve at 1080p?
A: The Low preset at 1920x1080 produces an average of 155.8 FPS. This is the highest frame rate measured across all resolution and settings combinations in the data.
Q: Which resolution shows the largest performance drop from Low to Ultra?
A: Both 2560x1440 and 3840x2160 show a 45% reduction from Low to Ultra. At 1440p, the drop is from 128.4 FPS to 70.7 FPS. At 4K, the drop is from 92.8 FPS to 50.7 FPS. The 1080p reduction is slightly smaller at 42.6%.